Quality assurance

From finding defects to designing how they are prevented.

← All paths

The steps

Entry

Experienced

Senior

Lead / Principal

QA analyst
QA engineer
Senior QA engineer
QA lead

PromotionLateral move or track changeEach step links to its full detail below.

#	Step	What changes here	Jump	Skills
1	QA analystEntry · Individual contributorNo active openings	Moves from running test cases to designing them.	—	Requirements writing Manual testing Defect management
2	QA engineerExperienced · Individual contributorNo active openings	Automates the repetitive and decides what is not worth automating.	Lateral moveJump: Large	Test strategy Automated testing Test automation Defect management
3	Senior QA engineerSenior · Individual contributorNo active openings	Quality moves from the end of the process to the start.	Lateral moveJump: Large	Performance testing Test data management Test strategy Mentoring
4	QA leadLead / Principal · Individual contributorNo active openings	Defines the quality bar for the whole organization.	PromotionJump: Moderate	Operational excellence Process improvement Technical communication Test strategy Cross-functional leadership

What makes the differenceAlso asked for

This describes moves that happen, not a recommended sequence or the only way to get there.

How this path was built

A structured starting point: it describes how this function is organized in technology companies, not a survey of Costa Rican employers. The skills at each step come from the platform’s curated vocabulary. Each version goes through industry review before it replaces this one.

Evidence as of: August 16, 2026
Reviewed on: August 16, 2027